four season hiker • off road enthusiast • gearhead

Bollinger Motors Reveals B1 – World’s Baddest EV

I recently stumbled upon an article about Bollinger Motors and their ambitious plans to create an All-Electric Off-Road vehicle. I was skeptical at first, but if the recently revealed B1 lives up to its spec sheet, they may actually be onto something.I love a throaty V8 as much as the next guy, but there is something super cool about an electric on/off road vehicle. My only concern with the idea of an all electric off-road vehicle is the inability to pack additional fuel. A lifted Jeep JK or Ford Raptor may only get 10-15mpg while overlanding in the back country; but I can easily bring a hundred gallons of surplus fuel to get me through – yes, charging and range of EVs has improved significantly over the last few years, but how many sunny days will I need to continue on my way and refuel with a solar panel? Anyway, I think the B1 is a great first step towards extended backcountry electric range, and is definitely cooler looking than any other EV out there.

The production B1 can be optioned with a 100 kWh battery allowing it 200 miles on a single charge, and can be fully recharged from depletion in 75 minutes through a "fast D.C." connection. Both are incredibly impressive stats, especially for a large truck on 33" mud tires.

Aside from that one, honestly picky, item (which no EV can conquer either), the B1 has an incredibly impressive stat sheet. The dual electric motor powertrain provides a 50/50 weight split and full time all wheel drive, while providing 360HP and 472 lb-ft of torque – allowing it to travel 0-60 MPH in just 4.5 seconds (that's only 1 second slower than the supercharged Jeep Grand Cherokee TrackHawk) and reach top speeds of 127 MPH. The instant torque (only available with an electric drivetrain) paired with 33" mud terrain tires and front and rear locking differentials should practically allow this beast to drive up a wall.

The base running height of the B1 has an impressive 15.5 inches of ground clearance but will be adjustable up to 20" using a self-leveling, 4-wheel independent, hydro-pneumatic suspension with 10 inches of wheel travel. The B1 will have an approach angle of 56°, a departure angle of 53°, and a break-over angle of 33°.

On top of a killer list of off-road goodies, the B1 lives up to its claim of being a legitimate utility truck. Not only does it have a towing capacity of 6,100 lbs, but there's ample room and payload to transport 72 sheets of 1/2" plywood, 24 2x4s, or even a table saw (which you can power directly off of the vehicle's batteries.)

Back country range is the only thing I have against EVs – but this B1 is proof that we now have a reason to work harder on improving the speed of solar charging!

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